1. Field of the Invention
This application claims the benefit Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/442,717 filed Jan. 27, 2003.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous prior art methods of applying graphic designs onto garments and other articles. Direct application of designs includes hand painting and silk screening which methods are often extremely attractive but labor intensive and relatively expensive. Alternatively, graphics can be applied first to a substrate which is subsequently permanently affixed to a garment by sewing where the substrate is cotton or other natural fiber and by lithographic (litho) transfer where the substrate is PVC or other suitable plastic.
In the high volume and highly competitive field of T-shirt and sweatshirt sales, graphic illustrations on the garments is the key to success with relevant factors including quality and attractiveness of the graphics, permanence of the graphics, comfort of the shirts for the wearer and economics for the manufacturer.
The common litho transfer process where graphics are applied onto a PVC substrate which is then affixed under heat and pressure conditions to the garment, meets some of the above listed objectives; however, this process includes certain problems and compromises as relates to T-shirts and other garments. Often the litho transferred substrate has a matte surface, and a graphic image on such a surface is inherently hazy and not sharp. Such PVC substrate is often relatively thick and thus uncomfortable to a person who wears a T-shirt with such substrate on the front surface. Also, since such matte surface is inherently rough, it is not suitable to receive and hold any additional ornamentation and not suggestive for consideration of such supplemental design.
In an attempt to produce sharper images the matte surfaces of vinyl sheet substrates were modified to be smoother; however a different problem was encountered in that ink applied to very smooth surfaces did not adhere properly and smeared.
It was further discovered that if a PVC substrate were made transparent, graphics could be applied on the rough side and were visible on the smooth side. However, such graphics being seen through the relatively thick vinyl sheet lacked vivid realism that was available with sharp graphics on the exposed surface of a carrier sheet. Also, such vinyl sheet was relatively thick and thus bulky, heavy, stiff and not comfortable for a wearer of such garments. Since a T-shirt is traditionally one of the most comfortable garments, such graphic substrates, while decorative, greatly compromised the usefulness of the garment.
In view of the above, commercially produced decoration on clothing is most commonly done by graphic design in an original fabric by printing, weaving, knitting, silk screen or hand painting, or by a having a graphic design imprinted on a patch or applique which is then attached to a fabric by sewing, adhesive or heat bonding, as appropriate.
Obviously, users could create their own decorations by tie-dying, hand painting or by sewing or glueing patches on garments. Some of these processes by users are easy and some not, but except as used by a competent artist, none produce professional-looking graphics of the type usually associated with commercial products.
Other situations where users create their own designs include children's games where felt appliques are removably adhered to cloth or other appliques are removably adhered using Velcro® hook and loop fastening means, or PVC appliques are removably adhered to rigid flat boards or onto glass where the substrate is PVC onto which an image has been imprinted.
A variety of prior art devices and techniques relating to the general concept of changeable designs in garments and other articles are disclosed in the U.S. patents as described below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,282 to Langdon discloses a garment with a front panel where markers to display a game score are attachable by hook and loop type fasteners. The combined panel, fastening means and markers is substantially thick and bulky.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,881 to Stocker et al. discloses an external pocket which can hold a removable object such as a toy bear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,448 to Graham et al. discloses manipulatives made of paper, cloth or plastic formed from a meltblown web having an opposite charge as that of a substrate, which may carry a negative surface potential of between 100 to −2500 volts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,991 to Schmid discloses a garment with a graphic scene onto which complementary objects can be attached by hook and loop fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,604 to Martinez et al. discloses substrate sheets for attachment to walls and appliques for attachment for the substrates by hook and loop fasteners.